Volume One, Chapter 57: "The Scroll of Mountains and Rivers"

Two days passed.
The competition finally began.
As each contestant took the stage, in addition to a brief self-introduction, a short video related to the participant was played.
In all the other contestants’ videos, not a single one wasn’t scratching their heads in frustration.
Even Wang Linkai, who had already prepared, put on an act of working hard at composing.
From everyone’s state today, it was clear to see—each face bore a fatigue that even makeup couldn’t conceal.
But when it came to Jiang Yu, the entire tone shifted.
All the contestants were stunned by his video.
In the footage, Jiang Yu moved at a leisurely pace, as if he wasn’t there to compete, but to recuperate.
He slept in until he woke up naturally, got out of bed slowly, ate, then napped again, sat up, browsed the computer for half an hour, played on his phone, took another nap, ate again…
There was not a trace of tension!
Wang Linkai watched the video’s content.
Was this confidence or arrogance?
A trace of doubt appeared in his eyes, his heart unsettled.
To know the song format in advance and prepare ahead of time was already the limit of what Starlight Entertainment could achieve.
Today, Jiang Yu’s styling was different from his usual fresh look of white shirt, casual pants, and white sneakers. Instead, he wore a red suit jacket, black dress pants, and leather shoes.
“He’s here!”
The mentors all straightened up.
Su Muyu, who had arrived yesterday, was also slightly surprised at Jiang Yu’s new look.
Song Changying watched Jiang Yu take the stage and immediately burst into laughter, “Young man, I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately.”
Jiang Yu smiled, “I’m afraid I’ve made a spectacle of myself in front of you, Teacher Song.”
Chen Tong quickly chimed in, “Jiang, you’re too modest. I’ve listened to your two songs, ‘You’ and ‘Borrow Another Five Hundred Years from Heaven.’ I absolutely love them!”
Song Changying picked up at once, “Yes, I’ve heard them too. The moment I listened, I thought, wow, this young man is truly amazing. But it’s Su Muyu who knows best about this.”
Su Muyu graced everyone with a captivating smile, speaking more than usual, “That’s right. I’m truly grateful to Jiang Yu. Good luck today!”
Only Xu Kun was left. The previous song “Don’t Bite Me” had left him somewhat resentful, but now, with everyone else having spoken, he could only toss out a few words, “Jiang Yu’s songs are indeed good. I just wonder how he’ll do with rap.”
“I can’t wait!” Song Changying, sensing Xu Kun’s reluctance, took over. “Jiang, please begin your performance.”
Jiang Yu nodded, picked up the microphone, and smiled, “I’d like to present a song called ‘Landscape Scroll’!”
The background effects shifted to all kinds of scenery. Though the lights flashed as they did with rap performances, unlike the others, there was no sense of chaos.

The protagonist was not the singer, but the landscapes themselves.
The background music began.
It was even more astonishing.
Was that a guzheng? Not a Western instrument, but one of our traditional Chinese instruments!
Could Chinese instruments be used to perform rap?
The sound of drums, zither, and guqin filled the air.
Finally, Jiang Yu’s voice emerged.
The melodious music paired with his bold voice rang out.
The mentors frowned—this didn’t sound like rap at all.
Offstage, Wang Linkai heard the prelude and began to smirk. He’s off-topic. Jiang Yu is digging his own grave; no matter how well he sings, he won’t have a chance.
But in the next second, all they wanted to say was: Sorry, we judged too soon!
After the bold shout ended,
Jiang Yu finally began to sing.
“Behold these mountains, ten thousand ravines and crags stretching from valley to valley.
Behold these rivers, stars racing and waters converging into one bay after another.
Compose this scroll, phoenixes wheeling and soaring as the peaks reach for the sky.
Splash the ink—rich and full, my brush brings life to this magnificent land!”
This…
Everyone present was stunned.
His enunciation was clear, with not a single vulgar word.
Song Changying and Guo Qiang were visibly excited. After being subjected to those trashy rap songs, Jiang Yu’s performance was like a balm for their ears.
Grand and exuberant music, a majestic aura, nothing extraneous—this was rap unique to China!
Su Muyu’s eyes sparkled with delight.
In this moment, Jiang Yu was the only person in her gaze.
By contrast, Xu Kun’s face turned pale. As a musician, no matter how lacking he was, he could tell the difference between this song and the others—it wasn’t just a gap, but a chasm!
So this was Jiang Yu’s true strength!
“No matter the eight thousand miles of clouds and moon, a true man always stands tall.
We’ve crossed three mountains and five great peaks, yet still we look forward!”

“We’ve traveled the four seas and five lakes, never complaining of hardship or difficulty.
Whether beneath stars or moon, this magnificent land is always my companion!”
In the contestants’ area,
Liu Bin nudged Guo Qiang beside him, “Brother Guo, are you hearing Yu’s rap? Isn’t it incredible?”
Guo Qiang shot him a look of annoyance, “Can you go easy? You’re shaking my brains loose!”
But in his heart, he was full of admiration for Jiang Yu. This man was truly formidable.
As for the other contestants, their faces were ashen—Jiang Yu’s strength was terrifying.
If someone was just a little better than you, you might envy them. But if someone’s skill was worlds above yours, envy faded, replaced by endless admiration.
Wang Linkai bit his lip, his face deathly white. He hadn’t expected that, even with all the company’s preparations, they’d still lose to Jiang Yu.
What kind of monster was this? Why could he master every genre so perfectly?
The mentors, too, were swept away by the performance, swaying along to Jiang Yu’s rhythm.
“To the highest point, Shigatse, standing atop the Himalayas.
To the easternmost edge, heavy snow falls on the banks of Mohe.
To the far west, memories of beacon fires, the wind circles in Kashgar.
To the southernmost tip, azure seas and skies, dragons ride the surging waves.”
With every lyric, the backdrop shifted to match the scenery described.
The summit of the Himalayas, snow, grasslands, oceans!
And Jiang Yu stood center stage.
The mentors’ gazes upon him—
In modern parlance,
He was simply too “A”!
One question arose in each of their minds:
Could rap be sung like this?
He wasn’t performing “rap.” He was reciting an ode, singing of the magnificent rivers and mountains of China!